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Mini sets pace at UK motor show
BIRMINGHAM, England (CNN) -- Production of the Mini is set to break through the 150,000 barrier this year as waiting lists for the fast-selling car build up in the U.S. and around the world. The BMW factory at Oxford, England, was originally expected to build 100,000 models in 2002 but sales have rocketed and the plant is now on seven-days-a-week production. The boom for the revived British icon is part of a wider success story for the British auto trade unveiled at the UK motor show at Birmingham which opened to the press on Tuesday. Trevor Houghton-Berry, general manager of Mini UK said the success of the car had exceeded all expectations. There is a waiting list for a new Mini in this country and in the U.S., where buyers are having to wait up to six months. People camped outside dealers when the car went on sale in the U.S. earlier this year and sales for that country are expected to reach 25,000 for the year. Houghton-Berry said new versions of the Mini were expected to be launched in the coming years. A cabriolet model was likely to be built in 2004 and several other designs are currently being studied. The Mini is now selling in 60 different countries, including Japan where sales of the old Mini were strong. The bright times for the UK auto trade were shown in figures showing sales of new cars in the UK are set to break the 2.5 million barrier in 2002 -- despite the trend for a sustained fall in Western European car purchases. New car registrations in the year to August fell by 5 percent in Western Europe, but sales in the UK are up by 5 percent so far this year. Car production in the UK in September rose by 9.8 percent and is up 13.4 percent for the year 2002 so far. Much of that growth has been provided by the plethora of new models launched by the manufacturers. Andy Goss, Managing Director of Germany's Porsche, told CNN from the show that strong sales in the UK had boosted his company's performance when other automakers across Europe were not fairing so well.
Earlier this year Porsche posted a 40 percent rise in pre-tax profits to $817.5 million in the year to July 31, mostly on strong sales of the high-margin 911 sports model. "We have a strong order book," he said. "We see no sign of a downturn at all." "The business is strong, fundamentally on the back of fantastic cars. On the back of a strong UK economy, we're going from strength to strength." More than 70 new cars were launched at the UK motor show on Tuesday. Auto giants including Ford, Rover, Honda and Nissan gave UK debuts to new cars and some firms, including Vauxhall gave a glimpse of the future by unveiling designs for 2003. Debuts includes the British-built Nissan Micra, a European first for Daihatsu's Copen, Audi's luxurious A8, the Enzo from Ferrari and a zero-emissions Ford Focus fuel cell vehicle. Stars on showAmong the luxury cars showcased in Birmingham this week are three from the new James Bond movie, Die Another Day -- an Aston Martin Vanquish, a modified Jaguar XKR and the new Ford Thunderbird. (Full story) Other supercar debuts included the Bentley Continental, plus a Lexus car used in the futuristic film Minority Report. Rover announced on Tuesday the introduction of new special edition cars for its 25 and 45 ranges, with extra features such as Trafficmaster traffic alert system and electric sunroof as standard. More than 22,000 people have been involved in the build up to the show, which is organised by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The event, last held two years ago, is expected to boost Britain's West Midlands economy by £30 million ($46m). A number of celebrities have been signed up to help launch new models, including pop group Atomic Kitten and French soccer star David Ginola. The show opens to the general public on Friday and 650,000 visitors are expected.
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